This recipe for fish-in-foil comes with buttery potato slices that are baked to perfection! A simple recipe with a fun twist on the classic fish and chips!
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Baking fish in foil is a fun way to cook fish and veggies together, in a way that yields the most delicious steamed-like fish and serving up individual portioned packets, without a big fishy mess!
I fell in love with this method of cooking fish back when I made this Baked Fish-in-Foil with Vegetables recipe.
Today I am giving the classic ‘fish and chips’ a fun twist by baking the fish over a bed of buttery potato slices, seasoned with flaky sea salt, fresh thyme and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
This recipe is very simple to make and it only requires few ingredients. We first bake the buttery potatoes alone to assure perfectly baked potatoes with crispy edge. Then we add the fish and bake until flaky.
This recipe is great for a year round dinner idea. You can cook the fish packets on the grill during the summer months, and it is perfectly paired with a side green salad 🙂
What you will need to make this Fish-in-Foil with Potatoes;
- for starters we will need a large sheet pan and some aluminum foil. I use Nordic Ware baking sheets and totally recommend them for its resistance and durability.
- as far as ingredients goes, you will not need much. Definitely a good high quality wild fish; cod or haddock are my two favorite picks for this recipe. I get my fish from both Sitka Salmon Shares and Butcher Box. These are both good reliable sources of meat and seafood, both in which I have been members of for a couple years now.
- I recommend unsalted butter so that you have better control on the saltiness of the dish. If you only have salted butter, do not add salt to the fish. You can season it later on if needed.
- for the potatoes you can use any yellow potato but choose a medium size if you can.
- seasoning and flavoring (besides the butter) I used flaked sea salt whenever I cook fish or meat. It adds better flavor and texture than refined salt. Freshly ground pepper and thyme are the other two flavors. You can add more or different seasonings if you like.
- fresh lemon because you cannot have fish without lemon.
notes and substitutions;
- if you prefer to cook without aluminum foil, you can use parchment paper instead. It will not fold up into a pocket like the foil, but if you use a smaller sheet pan and lean the fish again the other, you can crawl up the parchments enough to create a pocket for the fish juices to stay
- you can sub cod for haddock or salmon and keep the same cook times. If you decide to go with tilapia, note that the fish will cook slightly faster. Swordfish on the other hand, or any meaty fish will take longer to bake.
- to make this recipe dairy free and/ or vegan sub for vegan butter.
Check out these other fish and seafood recipes!
Baked Fish-in-Foil with Vegetables
Sheet Pan Mediterranean Shrimp
If you make this Fish in Foil with Potatoes recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a star rating! I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thanks a bunch!
Fish in Foil with Potatoes
Equipment
- Sheet Pan and Aluminum Foil
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 – 2 lb fresh cod
- 3 medium yellow potatoes, sliced
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter* (for DF/Vegan sub for vegan butter)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 pinch sea salt and pepper, to taste
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 425F degrees. Line a large sheet pan with four good-sized pieces of aluminum foil. Set aside
- Slice the potatoes to about 1/4 inch thick. Dip the potato slices into a bowl with melted butter, then arrange the potato slices on the foil overlapping each other, forming a bed of potatoes. Season the potato slices with sea salt and top with fresh thyme. Repeat until all four pieces of foil have a layer of potatoes. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare the cod by cutting it into four equal size pieces. Brush with remaining butter and season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and fresh tyme. Top with lemon slices.
- Place a piece of cod on top of each potato bed. Gently fold the sides of the foil up, not completely wrapping the fish but rather forming a pocket. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until fish is flaky.
- Serve each fish packet with fresh lemon slices, fresh herbs and a side of green salad
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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delicious and so easy for those nights my husband works OT and still wants a hot fresh meal —love this easy flavorful dish!
Thanks so much Lisa, I am so glad to hear!
I gave this recipe a try tonight as my first attempt at foil baking and I have to say, “I’m hooked!” Pun intended. Many thanks to you, Sylvia, for a delicious recipe that leads the pack. I have no need to look further than your Garden in the Kitchen for fresh menu ideas for my husband’s new diet to meet his recently changed health needs. Seriously, I have experienced foil baking, however, I have just begun to foil bake and you got me off to a great start!
Hi Suzanne, that’s such a thoughtful message , honestly it made my day! I am so glad that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. A change of a diet can be hard but it can also be exciting and open up a whole world of possibilities in the kitchen. Best luck to you both and please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions about my recipes! Silvia
Thank you, Silvia. To further tell you how much we really enjoyed ourselves using your recipe, I have to relate that neither of us are even light eaters of fish. We have been married going on 41 years and your recipe has just set us on a course into the adventures of foil baking all things “fish”!!! Please, please forgive my slip of the one-finger-typo in spelling your name earlier. My bad…😔
I love this recipe, it is one of my favorite and on frequent rotation in my kitchen. I’ve lost count the number of people I’ve shared it with, after serving it and everyone commenting on how delicious it is!!
Is that right? that’s so great to hear Kim! Thanks for sharing this with me, I am truly so glad!